Distilling device for lubricating system of internal-combustion engines



May l, 1928. 1,668,013

' G. H. GREENHALGH msTILLING DEVICE FOR LUBRICATING SYSTEM OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed` May 6, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTOHNE )'S May l, 1928. 1,668,013

G. H. GREENHALGH DISTILLING DEVICE FOR LUBRICATING SYSTEM OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed May 6, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 S 31409141507, Qemye/reengy @513% @brom/mwa v @ZW MMM/3m M l `Patented May 1, 1928.

UNITED STATESA e v1,668,013 ki` `ATr;1\Vr OFFICE;

GEORGE H. ,GREENHALGE or HAzLEToN, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNon To swnnTLANnor HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA. f

ERNEST J.

DISTILLING DEVICE FOR LUBRICATING SYSTEM IN TERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINES. i

Application 1ed May 6, 1922. Serial No. 558,979.

It is becoming more and more generally recognized that'the presence of water and of lighter hydroecarbons such as gasolene and kerosene in the lubricating oil of 1n- 5 terna] combustion engines, seriouslyaflects the lubricating qualities of the oil. I [n most internal combustion engines, particularly Athose used on vehicles, thecrank case is a reservoir for the lubricating oil, with the result that the oil is constantly diluted, particularly in wintertime, by moisture condensed on the walls of the crank case and by gasolene, (and under some conditions by kerosene), which flows past the `engine pis 15 tons and into the crank case.

Ithas been proposed to remove these diluting liquids from the lubricating oil of internal combustion engines by heating the oil and thus distilling outA of it the, water and the lighter hydro-carbons. The general object of the present invention is to provide anew and improved form of distillingdevice which is simple in construction, efficient in operation, and which is in the form of an attachment which can easily be applied to the oiling system of an internal combustionr engine. y

One of the characteristic features of my iii vention is a spherical distilling vessel adapthaust manifold of an internal combustion engine. Another characteristic feature of the invention resides in the provision of means, adapted to be located in the pathof the exhaust Gases through the engine exhaust manifo d or pipe, for transmitting to the? body of oil within therdistilling device heat from the exhaust gases. L

A further object of the invention is to ed to be secured to and heated from the ex` provide means for controlling the. influence of the lexhaust gases on the distilling de-y elevation of a modified form of'distillin device, also embodying the invention; an Figure 3 is a cross-sectional elevation of another vmodified form of distilling device embodying the invention.

Referring to the drawings, all of the emtrated are characterized by what ma be described as a vspherical vessel within a spherical vessel or as a double-Walled spherical vessel, and I regard this as a preferable construction, although some `of the features of the invention are not necessarily confined vapor, and the outer spherical vessel is pro vided with intake and outlet openings for engine eii'haust gases. Furthermore, in all of the forms illustrated, the distilling device is adapted to be mounted upon a pipe carrying' exhaust gases suoli as the exhaust manifold of an internal combustionengine.

Referring first. to that forni ofinvention shown in Fig. l, the distillator is shown as mounted upon an exhaustmanifold 5 of an internal combustion engine froinwhich the distilling'device receives the exhaust gases for heating purposes. The distilling device is shown as comprising an inner spherical vessel T and an outer `spherical 4vessel 9- arranged concentrically. rlhe inner spherical vessel 7 is provided about midway of its height with an intake opening ll and anoutlet opening 13, which may be in the form of passages extending thru the outer and inner vessels and the space between them, and :nlapted to receive an inlet pipegl' andan outlet pipe 17 for the oil whichl ,is to be treated. The inner vessel 7 is also provided bodiinents of the invention therein illus near its top with an outlet opening 19 which may be in the form of a `passage `thruthe walls of both vessels and the space between them, into which passage may be inserted a pipe 2l for carrying'o' the distilled vapor. The outer vessel 9 is also providediwith an intake opening 23 surrounded by a neck 25 which may have a threaded end 27 as shown, orinay be adapted in any other manner, to

be connected to the exhaust manifold 5 or The l other pipe carrying exhaustV gases. outer vessel 9 is also provided with an open, ing 29 into which may be screwed a'pipe 31 adapted to carry ott the exhaust gases which enter the space between the outer vessel S) and the inner vessel i' from the exhaust manifold 5. rlhe pipe 3l may, as Will be readily understood, be led to some other part of the pipe 5 carrying exhaust gases or may be lett open at some location Where escape of gases from it will not be objectionable. W'ithin the neck is located a. valve 33 having` a shaft 3a, which may be journaled in holes oppositely located in the neck 25. At one end outside ot the neck 25, the shaft 34 is provided with an arm 35 which is pivotaily connected at 3U to a rod 38 connected to the throttle controlling means for the iniernal combustion engine in connection with which the distilling device is used. 'lhis connection between the valve 33 and the throttle controlling means lor the en gine is so arranged that the valve will move in synchronism with the movement 0.1? the throttle, thereby regulating the admission olf exhaust gases within the space between the vessels T and 9. rl`he wider the throttle is opened, the less is the amount ot exhaust gas which is permitted to pass thru the distilling device; and, in this Way, excessive heating ot the device is prevented when the engine is running under conditions Which produce an abnormally large amount of eX- haust gases at abnormally high temperatures.

'lhe lorm ot' the invention shown in F ig. 2 is also characterized by an inner vessel 40 and an outer vessel al, pipes 42 and 43 for the oil, pipe e for the distilled vapor, a neck 45 having a threaded end adapted to enter a threaded hole with the exhaust manifold 16, and a pipe el, thru which exhaustgases passing thru the distilling device may escape. lV ith this form of the invention, a valve for controlling the admission of exhaust gases to the distilling device is not shown; but it is obvious that one similar to that shown in Fig. l may be inserted in the pipe 47. In order to provide for increasing the amount ot heat which may be transmitted by the exhaust gases to the oil within the distilling device, the device shown in Fig. 2 is provided with hollow oil recciv ing means connnunicatinfr With the inner vessel il() and adapted to ne located in the path of the exhaust gases passing thru the exhaust pipe or manifold 4,6. As shown, this means comprises a pipe t8 having a threaded end entering a hole in the bottom of the inner vessel a() and extending downwardly thru the neck e5 into the exhaust pipe 46. This pipe 48 is preferably provided With a plurality ot' discs or fins 49 which are preferably integral with said pipo and serve to increase the capacity ot the pipe for absorbing heat from the exhaust gases. With the t'orm of the invention shown in Fig. 2, it will be understood that the oil in the pipe 48 will be heated to a higher temperature than the oil within the vessel 4U, and will rise into said vessel and will he rcplaced by cooler oil liowing l'rom the latter. The heating eli'cct ot the exhaust gases upon the oil in the distilling device is thus increased.

The lforin oi the invention shown in Fig. 3 may be regarded as a inodilication on the form shown in Fig. 2. 'lhe bodyr of the distilling` device of vFigure 3 may be ol: the same forni as the body ot the device shown in Fig. 2, but instead ol having the oil enter the device thru an opening in its side, this opening is closed by a plug 5U and the oil is led in thru a pipe 5l which resembles an extension of the pipe i8 in the device oi Fig. Thisy pipe 5l, which is preferably provided with discs or lins 52, communicates with the bottom ol the inner vessel 4U', and extends thru the neck 4:3 ol the outer vessel ll and thru the exhaust manil'old ab. A gastight opening lfor the pipe 5l thru the bottom of the exhaust manil'old l may be provided in any suitable manner, lor example, by means of a sleeve threaded into a hole in the cxhaust manifold lb" and adapted to receive a packing and a gland 5st which makes threaded connection with the inside of the sleeve 53.

ln all forms of the invention illustrated, the body portion ot the distilling device is preferably made oi" cast metal, which is possible since the inner spherical vessel is held in spaced relation With reference to the outer spherical vessel by thc walls ot the inlet and outlet passages for the oil and the distilled vapor. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this construction since obviously others may be ein ployed.

lVith all of the forms of the invention, the distilling device may be arranged to rcceive either the Whole or only1 a portion o the oil which is circulated in the lubricating system ol the engine. As hereinbefore mentioned, the action ol the distilling device is to cause the major portion of the lighter hydro-carbone and the water in the lubricating oil to be vaporized and removed from the oil. The distilled vapors may be carried oi'l' to any suitable point and either con densed or allowed to escape, as may be considered desirable. ln the operation of the device the lower portion of the vessel 7 constitutes a heating reservoir and the upper portion ay heated vapor dome in which the vaporized constituents ot the oil in the reser voir are kept hot and prevented from condensing in the vessel and returning to the liquid oilV in the reservoir.

vWhile I have shown certain forms in which my invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these are merely illustrative and that l intend in the appended claims to cover all other forms which comeV in the spirit thereof.

What I claim is- 1. A distilling device adapted for use with the lubricating system of an internal combustion engine comprising a spherical vessel Within a spherical vessel, the inner spherical vessel being provided with intake and outlet openings for the oil and an outlet for the' distilled vapor, and vthe outer spherical vessel being provided with intake and outlet openings for engine exhaust gases.

2. A distilling device adapted for use With the lubricating system of an internal combustion engine comprising a. spherical vessel Within a spherical vessel, the inner spherical vessel being provided about mid-Way of its height with oppositely located intake and outlet openings for the oil and near its top with an outlet for the distilled vapor, and the outer spherical vessel being provided with intake and outlet openings for engine exhaust gases.

3. A distilling device adapted for use with the lubricating system of an internal combustion engine comprising a double-Walled spherical vessel having thru both walls intake and outlet passages for the oil and an outlet passage for the distilled vapor, and having inlet and outlet openings thru the outer Wall of said vessel one of which is adapted to be connected to a pipe carrying engine exhaust gases whereby the inner vessel may be entirely surrounded by the heating gases.

4. A distilling device adapted for use with an internal combustion engine, `comprising a vessel having an outer Wall and an inner Wall spaced from one another, the outer Wall substantially surrounding the inner, intake and outlet passages for the 4oil and an outlet passage for the distilled vapor being provided thru both of said Walls, and oil receiving means spaced from` but connected With said vessel and adapted to be lnterposed in a pipe carrying engine exhaust Y gases for heating thel oil in said vessel.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature to this specification.

GEORGE H.` GREENHALGH. 

